Build a Pro Antioxidant Diet

Overview

Foods contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that keep your body functioning properly and boost immunity to fight off illness. Some of these nutrients are also classified as antioxidants because they help your body resist oxidative stress, which can result in degenerative diseases such as cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Eating a well-balanced diet full of brightly colored fruits and vegetables provides your body with a variety of natural antioxidants.

What Is the Definition of Antioxidants?

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Antioxidants are nutrients that help your body fight off free radicals, unstable molecules that can attach to and damage healthy cells. Free radicals form naturally in your body from exposure to environmental toxins, smoking and contaminants in food and are only a problem if they become too numerous. Nutrients classified as antioxidants include vitamins A, C and E; the minerals selenium and zinc; and families of phytochemicals found naturally in plant foods, such as flavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols and anthocyanins.

Does Habanero Pepper Have Antioxidants?

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The habanero is one of the hottest members of the chili pepper family. These tiny peppers are shaped like lanterns and come in green, orange, red and yellow varieties. All peppers, including chilies, are excellent sources of vitamin C, one of the primary antioxidants and a powerhouse of immunity support. One small raw red chili supplies 65 milligrams of this vitamin, or 72 percent of the recommended dietary amount for men and 87 percent for women; green chilies contain even more, with 109 milligrams per chili. Habanero peppers also yield ample amounts of vitamin A and the carotenoids beta-carotene and lutein, all of which support healthy vision.

Can Antioxidants Offset Smoking?

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Smoking is one of the major culprits in the proliferation of free radicals in the body. Scientific evidence suggests antioxidants help offset the damage to the body, particularly the lungs, caused by cigarette smoke. A study published in 1997 in the journal “Nutrition Research” found that supplementation with vitamins C and E over the course of 15 days significantly increased the serum antioxidant activity in smokers. In 1999, a study published in “Cancer Causes Control” concluded that female smokers who ate five carrots a week -- a vegetable high in beta-carotene -- reduced their risk of lung cancer.

Does Dairy Cancel Antioxidants?

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If you like milk in your tea, you may be zeroing out the benefits of this naturally heart-healthy beverage. In a 2007 study on black tea, a beverage rich in polyphenols, a German research team gave women black tea or black tea with skimmed milk to drink. They found that while plain black tea helped arteries relax, improving heart health, tea with milk did not. Researchers at the University of Rochester delved further into the study results and concluded that adding milk to tea destroys the antioxidant and anticancer properties of the polyphenols.

How Much Antioxidants in a Day?

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The dietary reference intake for vitamin C for adult women is 75 milligrams daily and for men, it's 90 milligrams, but you can safely consume or take up to 2,000 milligrams daily. Vitamin E has a DRI of 15 milligrams for all adults, with an upper limit of 1,000 milligrams. For adults, 700 micrograms is the DRI for vitamin A, which includes carotenoids from plant foods; the UL is 3,000 micrograms. Selenium has a DRI of 55 micrograms for adults and a UL of 400 micrograms. Men need 11 milligrams of zinc a day and women require just 8; the UL for both genders is 40 milligrams.

The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 15 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotene daily for adults, with most coming from your diet. The Mayo Clinic suggests 2 to 30 milligrams of the carotenoid lycopene daily for six months to help with prevention of many types of cancer.

Does Ingesting Antioxidants Raise Antioxidant Levels?

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The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service developed a system for rating the antioxidant levels in specific foods, called the ORAC method, which stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. For example, blueberries, which contain anthocyanins, rank high on the ORAC scale, but you can’t just eat a handful to get the benefits. One study conducted at Tufts University found that a large serving of blueberries -- more than a cup -- is required to raise antioxidant levels in the blood. Also, scientists warn that different antioxidant foods vary in their bioavailability, or ability to be absorbed by the body. They further advise that factors such as age, health and environment have an impact on antioxidant levels in the body.

Amount of Antioxidants in Guinness & Red Wine

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A pint of Guinness may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but stout beers are actually good for you. Dark beer contains a flavonoid called xanthohumol, which shows promise for its anticancer effects. Commercial beers contain between 0.01 and 0.2 milligram per liter. In red wine, resveratrol, an antioxdiant stilbene, promotes healthy cholesterol levels and supports heart health. A 5-ounce glass of red wine contains between 0.3 and 1.07 milligrams of resveratrol.

Does Milk Cancel the Antioxidants in Blueberries?

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Blueberries are rich in antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins that help slow the deterioration of cells, which may lead to cancer and age-related eye conditions. However, a 2009 study published in the journal “Free Radical Biology and Medicine,” found that while participants who ate plain blueberries increased the antioxidant levels in their blood, those who ate blueberries with a glass of whole milk did not. The researchers concluded that milk reduced the absorption of caffeic acid, an antioxidant compound in blueberries.

What Percent of Cacao Do You Need to Get the Antioxidants?

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Cocoa beans, from which chocolate is made, contains powerful antioxidant compounds called flavanols, a type of flavonoid that supports vascular health and helps protect against cancer. Not all chocolate has antioxidant properties, however. As a rule, the darker the chocolate, the higher the percentage of cocoa or cacao will be, and the richer the flavanol content. Look for dark chocolate with a cacao content of 65 percent or higher, recommends Mayo Clinic dietitian Katherine Zeratsky.

Can People Avoid Aging if They Eat Antioxidants?

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No one can avoid the inevitability of getting older, but your diet can help slow the aging process. For example, vitamin C supports the production of collagen, a protein in your skin that makes it strong and supple but breaks down as you age, causing wrinkles. The carotenoid lutein slows the progression of macular degeneration, an age-related disease of the retina. A review published in the “Annals of Clinical Psychiatry” in 2005 found that the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E, among others, may help cut your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Do Rich Colors in Vegetables Mean More Antioxidants?

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Natural compounds in plants called phytochemicals give them their bright, rich colors, and these substances have antioxidant properties. For example, purple, blue and dark red fruits and vegetables contain flavonoids, antioxidants that support cardiovascular health. The most vividly colored fruits and vegetables -- such as red, yellow and orange peppers; purple and red berries; and rich red tomatoes -- tend to contain higher amounts of antioxidants, according to the University of California at San Diego. Ensure that your diet contains a rainbow of colors to reap the benefits of all the antioxidants nature has to offer.

About the Author

Paula Martinac holds a Master of Science in health and nutrition education from Hawthorn University, with an emphasis on healthy aging, cancer prevention, weight control and stress management. She is Board Certified in holistic nutrition and a Certified Food and Spirit Practitioner, and has written extensively on nutrition for various websites.